Lock



March 6, 1934. .1. A. SHAFER LOCK Filed Oct. 29', 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1March 6, 1934. J. A. SHAFER 1,949,633

LOCK

Filed Oct. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. SHAFER March 6, 19341 LOCKFiled Oct. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. A. SHAFER March 6, 1934.

LOCK

Filed Oct. 29, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 4 awe/W607;

]a m es -24. J/zafer W1 Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE LOCK Application October 29,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to locking means for the discharge doors ofrailway hopper cars and the like. The invention provides improved,simplified, and efiective means whereby hopper doors may be maintainedin closed position. At the same time the invention saves weight andincreases the revenue load which the cars can carry. The inventionfurthermore eliminates the door spreaders heretofore employed and avoidsthe disadvantages incident thereto. Other features of the invention willbe hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a hopper car with lockingmeans embodying my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view, in central transverse section, of the carshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing a hopper door with locking meansembodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line IV--IV ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view, partly in section, of the structureat the left hand end of the door in Figs. 3 and 4, and Fig. 6 is adetail elevational view, partly in section, of the structure at theright hand end of said door in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a hopper car,the hoppers 5 of which are closed by discharge doors 6 extendingtransversely of the car. The hoppers and doors are arranged in pairs, asshown, one hopper of a pair extending from one side of the car to thecenter sills 7 and the other hopper of said pair 35 extending from saidsills to the opposite side of said car. The doors are hinged to therespective hoppers and are provided with locking means, an embodiment ofwhich is shown in detail in conjunction with one of the doors in Figs.3-6 and will now be described. Since the locking means for each door isthe same as that for the other doors a description of the locking meansassociated with one of said doors will sufice.

In Figs. 26, the door 6 is shown connected by 45 hinges 8, 8, to thehopper 5. The door may be provided with a marginal reinforcing flange 9and may be received within a reinforcing flange 10 secured to thehopper. Pivotally mounted at 11 on the door 6 is a locking bar 12 whichextends 50 across and projects beyond the edges of said door.

The door has riveted or otherwise secured thereto near one end thereof ahousing 13 through which the locking bar 12 extends. Another housing 14,

suitably fastened to the door 6 near the opposite 50' end thereof,serves to receive and guide the corre- 1930, Serial No. 491,840

sponding end portion of said bar 12. Pivotally mounted at 15 in thehousing 13 is an eccentric locking member 16 provided with a handle 17whereby said member may be swung about its pivot into firm engagementwith said bar for locking the latter in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Secured to the outer side of the hopper (i. e., the side opposite thecenter sills '7) is a latch member 18 which is adapted to receive thebar 12 and to cooperate with said bar for maintaining the door 6 inclosed position. Said member 18 is provided with an inclined face 19, aledge 20 adjacent a shoulder 21, and an upwardly fac-. ing notchedportion 22 including a shoulder 22': adjacent said ledge. A latch member23 is secured to the inner side of the hopper (i. e., the side adjacentthe center sills 7) said latch 23 hav-. ing a downwardly facing portion,including an inclined surface 24, for receiving the locking bar.

During the swinging of the door 6 toward closed position the locking bar12 rides up the inclined face 19 of the outer latch member 18 and isthereby swung about its pivot, the end of said bar adjacent member 18being raised and the end of said bar adjacent member 23 being lowered.When the end portion of the bar 12 cooperating with member 18 passesover shoulder 21 of saidmember, said end portion drops into engagementwith ledge 20. It will be seen that by the engagement of shoulder 21with the bar 12 the door is positively held in partiallly closedposition and is prevented from being moved toward open position. A pinchbar 25 may now be so positioned that one end fulcrums on a lug 26 ofmember 18 and another portion bears on looking bar 12, and through saidbar the door may be forced to a closed position, the bar 12 now beingengaged with the face 22 of member 18. Engagement of said bar with thenotch 22 may be effected by, turning the locking element 16 from thedotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 3, the bar 12 beingthereby turned about its pivot 11 into engagement with said notch andfirmly locked' therein by said member 16. At the same time the end ofsaid bar adjacent the inner latch member 23 is raised into engagementwith said member. In case the parts do not operate freely, due forexample to binding arising from warpage, the bar 12 can be forced fullyinto closed or looking position in the notch 22 through the operation ofa pinch bar inserted at right angles to the car between a projection onsaid bar 12 and a flange 20a on member 18; said pinch bar fulcruming onthe underside of said flange 20a and SDI.

bearing on the upper surface of said projection 30.

The end portion of the bar 12 which is received in the inside latchmember 23 is beveled as shown at 27 (Fig. 6) for cooperation withinclined surface 24 of said member. At the time that the bar 12 restsupon the ledge 20 said bar does not engage the latch member 23, andthere is a tendency for the door to sag, due to its weight at the sideadjacent said member 23. The position of bar 12 with respect to member23 at the time said bar engages ledge 20 of member 18 is indicated indot-dash lines in Fig. 6. By the provision of the inclined surfaces 24and 27 the bar 12, during its upward movement in said latch memberconcurrently with its engagement with notch 22, is guided into theposition shown in Fig. 6, and the sag of the door is taken up.

It will be noted that in addition to providing means for efiectivelylocking the doors of the hoppers I have eliminated the door spreadersheretofore employed and serving to secure the doors of each pair rigidlytogether. The employment of door spreaders has resulted in difii cultyin fitting the doors to the car. Where doors fastened together by aspreader fit into reinforcing flanges in the hoppers exact spacing ofthe doors is necessary in order that they may enter the spaces withinsaid flanges. Whether or not reinforcing flanges are employed, the fourhopper sheets of the pair of hoppers must be accurately aligned or therigidly connected doors will be held away from the short hopper sheetsby the long ones. In addition, very accurate spacing of the hinges onthe two doors and of the corresponding hinge butts on the hoppas irequired in order that the hinges and butts may mesh and in order thatthe pair of doors may properly fit the hoppers. These difficulties areobviated by my invention.

My arrangement, it will be noted, permits any door to be opened byitself. In addition, the additional weight of door spreaders iseliminated. Furthermore, where door spreaders are employed, each door islocked at one edge only, with the result that the load frequently forcesthe other edge of the door away from the hopper and causes deflection ofthe spreader. With my construction, each door is firmly held andsupported at both inside and outside edges. Also, my arrangement resultsin easier movement of doors to preliminary and to closed position sinceonly one-half the weight is involved as compared with the prior doorspreader arrangements, and the cramping of hinges and binding of doorsbetween hopper flanges encountered in the rigid door spreaderconstructions are avoided. Also, my invention facilitates removal andreplacement of doors since each door may be handled separately.

As indicated at 28 in Fig. 5, clearance is provided between the doorflange 9 and the hopper reinforcing flange 10 and clearance is alsoprovided between the locking bar 12 and the latch member 18 as indicatedat 29. As a result of these clearances, an accurate positioning of thehinges 8 vertically is not required.

To unlock the door, the locking bar 12 (after locking element 16 hasbeen manipulated to un locking position) may be re dily forced out ofcan gagement with latch members 18 and 23 through operation of a pinchbar inserted between the upper surface of projection 26 and the undersurface of said locking bar, as indicated by the dotted lines designatedX in Fig. 5.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the inventionclaimed.

I claim:

1. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door and projecting beyond opposite edgesthereof, and members secured to the hopper for receiving opposite endsof said element, one of said members having an inclined portion forturning said element about its pivot in response to movement of the doortoward closed position, said element having an inclined surface adjacentone end, and the other of said members having an inclined portioncooperating with the inclined surface for forcing the door toward thehopper in response to turning of said element while engaged with saidmember.

2. In combination, discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door, and projecting beyond opposite edgesthereof, a member secured to the hopper adjacent said element andengageable by an end portion thereof, said member having an inclinedrace for turning said element about its pivot during movement of thedoor toward closed position, and also having a shouldered portion forreceiving said element upon further movement of the door and a notchedportion for receiving said element when the door is closed, meanscooperating with said element for preventing disengagement thereor" fromsaid notchedv portion of said member and means secured to the hopper andcooperating with the other end portion of said element for receiving thelatter and taking up the sag of the adjacent side of the door withrespect to the hopper as said element is moved inwardly in the notchedportion of said member.

3. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door and extending beyond opposite edgesthereof, means secured to the hopper and cooperating with the outer endor" aid element for receiving the latter when the door is closed, andmeans secured to the hopper and cooperating with the other end of saidelement for receiving the latter after the outer side of the door hasbeen substantially closed and causing the sag of the adjacent side orthe door with respect to the hopper to be taken up in response toturning of said element about its pivot.

l. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door and projecting beyond opposite edgesthereof, means engageable by one end portion of said element when thelatter is turned about its pivot with the door in closed position, andmeans cooperating with the other end of said element for taking up thesag of the adjacent side of the door with respect to the hopper inresponse to turning of said element after said element has been turnedinto engagement with the first named means.

5. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said (1001' and projecting beyond opposite edgesthereof, a member secured to the hopper and engageable by an end portionof said element;

said member having an inclined face for turn-' ing said element aboutits pivot during movement of the door toward closed position, and alsohaving a ledge forming a bearing surface for said element and a shoulderproviding a positive stop engaging said element while in position onsaid ledge to prevent movement of the door from a partially closedposition toward open position, said member further having a notchedportion beyond said ledge for receiving said element when the door isfully closed, and means secured to the hopper and cooperating with theopposite end portion of said element for receiving the latter and movingthe related end of the door to fully closed position as said element ismoved inwardly in the notched portion of said member.

6. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door, a member secured to the outside of thehopper and engageable by an end portion of said element; said memberhaving an inclined face for turning said element about its pivot duringmovement of the door toward closed position, and also having ashouldered portion for receiving said element upon further movement ofthe door, and a notched portion for receiving said element when the dooris fully closed, and means secured to the inner side of said hopper forreceiving the other end p r ion of said elem nt, said means being inspaced relation to said other end portion when said element is firstmoved into said notched portion, said means being adapted to engage saidother end portion to move the related end of the door to fully closedposition upon further movement of said element inwardly in the notchedportion of said member.

'7. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementmounted on said door, a member secured to the hopper adjacent saidelement and engageable by an end portion thereof, said member having aportion for receiving said element during closing of the door, and anotched portion for receiving said element when the door is closed, aprojection on said member providing a fulcrum for an implement forforcing said element from the first mentioned portion to the notchedportion of said member, and means secured to the hopper and cooperatingWith the other end portion of said element for receiving the latter andmoving the related end of the door to fully closed position as saidelement is moved inwardly in the notched portion of said member.

8. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementmounted on said door, a member secured to the hopper adjacent saidelement and engageable by an end portion thereof, said member having aportion for receiving said element during closing of the door and anotched portion for receiving said element when the door is closed, aprojection on said member providing a fulcrum for an implement forforcing said element from the first mentioned portion to the notchedportion of said member, another projection on said member providing afulcrum for an implement for forcing said element into said notchedportion, and means secured to the hopper and cooperating with the otherend portion of said element for receiving the latter and moving therelated end of the door to fully closed position as said element ismoved inwardly in the notched portion of said member.

9. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementmounted on said door, a member secured to the hopper adjacent saidelement and engageable thereby, said member having a shouldered portionfor receiving said element during closing of the door, and a notchedportion for receiving said element when the door is closed. fulcrummeans on said member enabling the door to be moved by an implement fromthe first mentioned portion to the notched portion of said member andinto engagement with said notched portion, and means secured to thehopper for receiving the other end portion of said element and movingthe related end of the door to fully closed position after said elementis moved into the notched portion of said member.

10. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said car, a member secured to the hopper adjacentsaid element and engageable by an end portion thereof, said memberhaving a square shouldered portion for receiving and retaining saidelement during closing of the door, and a notched portion for receivingsaid element when the door is closed, means on said member providing afulcrum for an implement for forcing said element from the firstmentioned portion to the notched portion of said member, and meanscomprising a projection on said member and a projection on said elementwhereby said element may be subsequently forced by an implement to turnabout its pivot into engagement with said notched portion.

11. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementpivotally mounted on said door, a member secured to the hopper adjacentsaid element and engageable by an end portion thereof, said memberhaving an inclined face for turning said element about its pivot duringmovement bf the door toward closed position, and a notched portion forreceiving said element when the door is closed, and means secured tosaid hopper and having a wedging surface cooperating with the other endportion of said element for taking up the sag of the adjacent side ofthe door with respect to the hopper as said element is moved inwardly inthe notched portion of said member.

12. In combination, a discharge door for a hopper car, a locking elementmovably mounted on said door, a member secured to the hopper adjacentsaid element and engageable by said element, means on said memberproviding a fulcrum for cooperation with an implement to force saidelement into a given relation to said member and means enabling animplement to be positioned for engagement with said element transverselyof the car for forcing said element into another position.

JAMES A. SHAFER.

